It’s been some time since our core wine group got together. So when Rene proposed a dinner at Mamou Too in Rockwell last week, we all made sure we would meet up for that. Although no wine theme was proposed, we all ended up bringing Bordeaux. It seemed everyone was eager to get the festivities going as I arrived on time but most were already at the restaurant cooling the champagne.Not wasting any time, the first bottle was opened when I arrived. It’s a wine I’m somewhat familiar with as I’ve had it several times before. Nicolas Feuillatte’s Cuvée Palmes d’Or 1996 in the distinctive but rather garish dimpled golf ball-like bottle. This has some nutty nuances and hints of oxidation. The wine is very lemony with rather high acidity. There are also some green apple notes. I’m not too sure where this wine is going, if it’s shut down or this is as good as it gets. It seems less expressive than other examples I’ve tried although I must admit it’s been a while since I had one.Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d'Or 1996 by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrBy coincidence, Jojo and I also brought Champagne, and the same one at that. Vilmart Cuvée Rubis NV which, as the name implies, is a rosé. Although we had the same wine, the bottles and labels were different. I bought mine a few years back while Jojo just started importing it. We decided to try Jojo’s bottle so he could try out his new stock. Faded rose color. Rather full with red cherry, ripe strawberry and raspberry flavors. Pretty good, I thought.Vilmart Cuvee Rubis NV by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrThe ordering was left to Noel who kept things simple. 3 orders of Mario Bottarga All’ Olio-Spaghettini, tuna roe, garlic olive oil sauce, served al dente (P 425.00) and three Twin (800g) Dry aged USD Prime Bone In Ribeye Steaks (P 3680.00). For side dishes we had some steak rice and, I suppose to assuage any feelings of guilt for so much meat, a bowl of broccoli and cheese.Pasta Bottarga by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrMamou's famous steak by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrTo go with the steaks we had a fine selection of mature Bordeauxs. The Pichon Lalande 1994 was quite soft, with good fruit showing plum and black cherry. The Grand Puy Lacoste 1990 was in great shape. Earthy, complex, sweet, big-boned and meaty. Perfect with the steak and just about perfect at this point. Unanimously judged the wine of the night. Another Pichon Lalande, this one a 1989 was feathery light and quite feminine. Soft and sweet but with a rather unexpected touch of soy sauce on the finish. The Petit Cheval 2000 seemed rather tight. Difficult to get much from it. I should have had another glass later in the evening to see its evolution but neglected to do so. Perhaps best to revisit this in about 5 years or decant for an extended period. I brought a Carruades de Lafite 1998 (second wine of Chateau Lafite Rothschild) which had to be decanted as the cork snapped and fell in the bottle. The price sticker was still on the bottle, showing that the wine cost just over P 3500.00. I’m pretty sure I bought this during a sale so you could deduct another 20% or so. This would make it around P 2800.00 (USD 64). With a current price of at least USD 200.00, I doubt I’ll be buying any more of this wine. The color was quite good but I felt the flavor wasn’t anything special. The fruit had faded while it hadn’t developed too much complexity by way of tertiary aromas and flavors. Not bad but somehow you expect more from a wine with Lafite pedigree. I’m glad I didn’t spend too much on this. We also had an Angelus but we decided to reserve it for another day.Some of the night's reds by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrA new item on the menu intrigued me and since we still had a bit of wine to drink up, we decided to get two order of the RB Foie Gras Open Faced Sandwich (995.00). This is roast beef in gravy topped with foie gras on a buttered bun with mashed potatoes or fries. Certainly a new way to get your foie gras fix. It’s pretty rich stuff so I wouldn’t have this as a main course but it’s a good dish to share.Foie Gras Sandwich by jaylabrador.winesteward, on FlickrWe finished with some cheese and chorizo and, of course, Mamou’s fantastic pecan pie with schlag. No dessert wine this time but I think we had our quota of wine in any case.

It was great having a chance to meet up with friends whom I hadn’t seen in months. I hope it doesn’t take too long before we meet up again.

I remember drinking a lot of the 1998 Carruades back in 2001 when I was traveling on business. A restaurant had it on the list for...wait for it...$31, and so I ordered it 5 or 6 times over the course of 2 months in the area. Always solid, never exciting.

There behind the glass lies a real blade of grass. Be careful as you pass. Move along. Move along.

I remember drinking a lot of the 1998 Carruades back in 2001 when I was traveling on business. A restaurant had it on the list for...wait for it...$31, and so I ordered it 5 or 6 times over the course of 2 months in the area. Always solid, never exciting.

Dale Williams wrote:Always enjoyed 90 GPL.Jenise, probably will get a nice ROI on Carraudes, but maybe not as much as a year or two ago, the Lafite craze has cooled a bit.

Yes, I've noticed. And I'm angry at myself for not jumping on it, both for these 98's and my 02 Lafites--but I just didn't have the time at the time to do what I knew I'd be sorry if I didn't do. I've never sold stuff before and I probably made it out to be a bigger problem in my head than it really was.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov